Gulf Aid concert beneficiaries haven't been chosen

Susan Poag,The Times-Picayune archiveAllen Toussaint is among the artists who will perform at the Gulf Aid benefit concert on Sunday. He was photographed April 30 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Unfortunately, the answer isn't crystal-clear, but organizers promise the money will go where it's needed -- in particular, to people who have been directly impacted by the spill.

Planning for the Sunday concert has been a whirlwind, to the point where the beneficiaries have yet to be chosen, organizers said. But the founders of the nonprofit Gulf Relief Foundation, all New Orleans businessmen, have laid out specific criteria for how the proceeds from each ticket sold will be distributed.

The foundation's creators are hoping to support organizations that meet the foundation's three standards: Money must go as directly as possible to beneficiaries, not operating costs; it must help either wildlife or people whose livelihoods were directly affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill; and it must target needs not being addressed by government, said David Freedman, general manager of WWOZ 90.7 FM and foundation co-creator.

"We didn't want to just rush and tag some organization, and say, 'You get the money,'" Freedman said. "We really value the donations we're getting."

Freedman formed the 501(c)3 just a little over a week ago with Joseph Jaeger Jr., CEO of regional contractor MCC Group, and Sidney D. Torres IV, owner of SDT Waste & Disposal, after Freedman talked with Mardi Gras World partner Berry Kern and decided to hold a benefit concert.

"We're hosting a million-dollar show for a fraction of that cost, and it all came together within a couple of days," Freedman said.

The show takes place Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. at Mardi Gras World, donated by partners Jaeger and Kern, and is headlined by big names such as Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Allen Toussaint, Mos Def and Ani DiFranco.

Rehage Entertainment, producer of the Voodoo Experience and the Essence Music Festival, is producing Gulf Aid, and owner Steven Rehage is donating his time.

The expenses were estimated as of Friday to be "well below $100,000," Freedman said, but he expects the cost to rise. Neither the foundation nor the production company is paying salaries, and participating artists are donating their time or being paid "very low stipends," he said.

Large donations, such as $50,000 from Budweiser and $25,000 from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, are covering most of the expenses of the concert. But Freedman said it's possible some ticket proceeds would be used to cover the remaining expenses.

"But if you're looking at trends (in donations), it looks like it's going to be very successful," Freedman said.

One expert the foundation has sought out to suggest possible beneficiaries is Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.

"Our fishermen appreciate the unprecedented support and leadership of the efforts to draw attention to the extraordinary need of our coastal fishing communities," Smith said in a prepared statement. "Thousands of families across south Louisiana will potentially be impacted for years to come and will need all the help they can get to survive."

Freedman said he is also working closely with Cajun musician and coastal activist Zachary Richard to find those who are most in need of the money. The other businessmen behind the foundation are hoping to tap similar connections.

Freedman said a community radio station is a prime network to connect with those who are most deserving, citing an example of a fisher who can't participate in the cleanup until he has the money to bring his boat up to code.

"The people who fall between the cracks (of current aid) ... the work they're doing is essential," Freedman said. "They're not just looking for a handout."

Tickets to the benefit are $50, plus an $8 service charge, available at www.elevate.com. The service charge will also be donated back to the Gulf Relief Foundation.

After the concert, the money raised will be distributed as soon as possible, Freedman said.